Life's Blinks

Life can change in a blink. As tough and frustrating as they are I am grateful for those blinks. It is in those blinks we have a choice to focus on the negative and wallow in self-pity or re-treasure the things in life you’ve taken for granted. It’s in coping with those blinks you grow wiser and change the things in your life which do not support your health and happiness. Life's blinks make you stop the "busy-ness." How often are we so caught up in "busy-ness" we lose focus of what is truly important to our health and happiness? Sometimes in slowing down and stopping the "busy-ness" we find much in our lives for which to feel gratitude. There is something good to be found in each of life’s left turns. Always look for the positive. It’s there. Always.

Go sit somewhere comfortable. Ponder this:

What in your life does not support your health and happiness? What makes you truly happy? How can you have more of that in your life?

Don't be like the young man who looked at a Harley and said "I'll never have that." Thinking like that he's right. He won't. How often so many of us cut ourselves off from what we want by how we think!

So what makes you truly happy? And what are your positive steps to having it in your life?

I'll ask you again, What in your life does not support your health and happiness? What are some positive steps you can take to change that?

Smoothies: Home-made Health

Are you one of the multitudes who swing thru McDonalds for a quick breakfast? Did you know you could throw together a nutritious smoothie in less time than it takes to go thru McDonalds? You can make a smoothie and clean up in 5 minutes.




Many folks want to improve their health but don't know where to start. Incorporating a smoothie for breakfast is a great and healthful first step to improving your nutrition and healthstyle. It's an easy way to get a portion of your "5 a day".

You might try this smoothie:

Pear Smoothie

8 oz almond milk
1 Pear
8 oz fresh apple juice
1 tsp plain greek yogurt
cinnamon (to taste)
ice cubes

Blend in blender.

Or you might try this one:

Chocolate PB Smoothie

8 oz almond milk
2 tsp plain greek yogurt
2 tsp organic peanut butter
1 scoop (chocolate) whey protein powder
ice cubes

Blend in blender.




Too many people treat physicians like mechanics. They don't take good care of their health and then expect their physician to fix it. It's much easier to stay well than to get well. Health must be nurtured with good nutrition and a consistent regimen of exercise. Health is home-made.

If you are a "drive-up" breakfast eater or even worse; don't take time to eat breakfast I would urge you to give having a smoothie for breakfast a try!

Next post we'll talk about GREEN smoothies. They are especially nutritious. Subscribe to this blog so you don't miss it!

Why I Grow Food

It's my favorite time of the year. I'm anxiously planning my patio container garden. For the last several years I've grown veggies in containers on my patio. Despite all my years of observing my parents grow their garden there has been a learning curve. Last summer though, I grew an amazing amount of veggies in containers on my patio. It was delightfully fun!

Why do I grow food? There are so many reasons. First, the sheer joy of watching plants grow, blossom and bring forth fresh food. There is nothing like the succulent goodness of a fresh tomato. Growing your own food you have security in knowing how healthfully it was grown. There is great satisfaction and stress relief in planting and tending a container garden.  It's very exciting when the first veggies appear! I use organic soil and growing in containers have no need of weed poisons. I also have not needed any poisons to get rid of pesky bugs but will use organic methods if bugs become a problem.  Thus far I have successfully grown tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, squash and zucchini. Here's a picture of part of last summers patio container garden:

Having only a small space in which to grow your container garden is not limiting. You are only limited by your imagination!  It's fun to design your container garden. There are so many colorful containers from which to  choose. What will you grow?  What are your favorite vegetables? Is there a vegetable you've never eaten but would like to try? Do you want to grow tomatoes? There are many, many varieties of tomatoes from which to pick!                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                            

I hope you will consider planting a garden this growing season!   It's a great project to get your kids involved in!  It doesn't take a lot of space or even a lot of time and the benefits are many!  Fresh veggies are terrific for your health!  There is great joy in growing, harvesting and eating food which you grew. There's nothing more wonderful than the taste of freshly harvested vegetables!   

You can do it! Start planning! Get out there and ENJOY!

                                                                                                                                

Are You Thinking Yourself Sick?

Hopefully, if you are ill you will read this blogpost with an open mind. Lots of ill folks aren't ready to hear what I'm going to say and yes, I will most certainly make a percentage of these folks mad. However, for the people who are ready to hear what I'm going to say this is going to make a huge difference in their life. If I reach even just one person it's worth the rest of you getting mad at me.

Why do people settle for less than a happy and healthy life? Certainly, we would all say we desire to be happy and healthy. But are we all programmed with a mindset which allows us to live happy healthy lives. Obviously not.

As a holistic health coach I keep bumping into a wall. Many people say they want to be well but won't take the actions needed to improve their health. It perplexes me and I'll tell you why. In my own life I got very sick, in fact, my illness and subsequent remission is the reason I went back and earned a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. In my illness I followed my physicians recommendations (and I had an army of docs) but when I heard to many "I don't knows" and was on the verge of being forced to go on disability, I looked outside of my physicians for the answers to getting my life back. I wanted my life back and wasn't going to let the disease run my life. Nor do I believe God (the Universe,Higher Power etc) gives us sickness or intends for anyone to live a life of sickness.

What I have had a hard time understanding (till now) is why some people when diagnosed with a chronic illness will take a hard look at their lifestyle and make healthy changes or when their medical treatment isn't creating a hopeful result go seek answers on their own to get well and take the actions they need to to do so (like I did) while others don't. Most settle for their doctors answers (or lack thereof) and in many cases allow their disease to rule their lives.

I've worked in hospital healthcare for almost 30 years. Thru the years I have seen countless people with a variety of disorders; COPD, Diabetes, Arthritis, Cardiac disease, come in and out of the hospital over and over. I've seen more times than I want to think about; the sad, steady deterioration of these people as they go in and out of the hospital over a period of years. There are some common denominators with this group of people. The vast majority do nothing (or next to nothing) on their own to enhance their health. The overwhelming majority of these people did not live the healthiest of lifestyles before they got sick and did not change their diet to one nutritionally healthier with more physical activity after they got sick. They have spent a lifetime eating mostly processed foods,fast foods and junkfood snacks. They depend on their prescribed medications to regulate their disease (though I would be remiss if I didn't point out some don't even take their meds as prescribed). And when a new problem pops up they go back to their doctor for another medication. I've seen people with a list of 22 medications, who have NOT changed their nutrition or added exercise to their lifestyle.

In thinking about this I realized these people are no different from folks who work at a job their whole life which doesn't particularly give them much satisfaction. I won't address that topic here see this blogpost for that discussion How Are YOU Programmed?" But I will say people stay in situations because they believe they can't change them to something better. In my thinking I also realized the answer to my personal question; "Why did I get my life back from my illness?" I'll answer this in a minute.

Why do people settle for struggling with an illness?

The answer is simple. People settle for struggling with an illness because they believe they can't get well. Why did I get my life back from my illness? In their notes my doctors referred to me as "steroid dependent" and "unfortunate". My doctors basically told me I couldn't get well; that I would never get off of steroids and was doomed to live the painful life I was living. I refused to BELIEVE that.

If you truly believe you can't get well you aren't going to take the actions needed to get well. I'll go one step farther; your body and mind talk to each other; if you don't believe you can be well nothing you do will get you to a place of wellness. I didn't buy into my doctors negativity, therefore I was able and motivated to look outside of them for answers. I was fortunate to have people in my life who reinforced the belief I could be healthy and who alerted me to the body/mind connection and the power of nutrition.

Let's back up for a minute, how are you programmed to get sick to begin with?

Well, how much tv do you watch? News shows are filled with negativity. Many television shows and movies have negative story lines. Negativity affects you. Additionally, television commercials are designed to brainwash you to a certain way of thinking and to take certain actions. What do you commonly hear in television commercials? Eat this processed food, drink this soda, take this drug, eat this snack, slather on this skin cream, etc. Television commercials reinforce unhealthy habits. How many commercials are you inundated with during an evening of television? How many of those foods, drinks, snacks and skin creams do you use?

Seemingly insignificant remarks made to you in childhood by your parents and teachers may have reinforced a belief you "weren't strong". Children internalize the comments they hear. A comment that a child is "not strong" creates this belief in the mindset of the child. Children who grow up with a "sickly" mindset become sickly adults. (That was me.) Comments regarding a childs "sickliness" start a negative "I'm sickly" pattern of thinking in the childs thoughts. Thoughts repeated over and over become beliefs and finally manifest in your life.

Many people work so hard at their career health is put on the back burner. They are programmed with core beliefs about working hard which put them at risk of neglecting and thus, harming their health. (That was me too.) Balance in life is imperative to have a healthy body/mind.

Think about the people with which you spend the most time. Are they positive or negative? Do they uplift you? Hanging with negative people keeps a negative tape going in your thoughts. Negative people enable you to stay sick. Don't hang out with people who don't uplift you. It is hard to cut an old friend out of your life but for the sake of your health this may be what you need to do.

How do you begin to change your sickness situation?

1. If you have a negative doctor find a positive doctor. Do not allow a doctor to attach negative labels to you. Also understand your doctor is one person. One person can only have a limited view of the options open to you. Research your options. Keep your doctor apprised of what you learn and/or do to improve your situation. In the sixteen years my disorder was active not one of my physicians asked about or made any suggestions about my nutritional intake. Nutrition was paramount in my remission.

2. If you belong to a disease support group where the meetings are focused on each member discussing their lousy fate get away from these people. This kind of support group will keep you sick because it is illness-focused. I used to be a support group leader of a group just like this until I realized this was not the way to help people. Disease support groups which focus on the negatives happening in the participants lives enable the continuance of a victimhood thought pattern. Wellness is not created by focusing on illness.

3. Change your thoughts. Thoughts affect your beliefs. Beliefs affect your health. When a negative thought enters your mind replace it with a positive one. Keep an index card with you with positive health affirmations written on it. Review these affirmations often during the day.

4. Do something nice for someone else every day. Don't be focused just on yourself and your illness. What you give out comes back to you.

5. It is of paramount importance to give yourself whole foods. Unlike processed foods whole foods have the enzymes, vitamins, minerals your body needs to fight disease. Banish artificial sweeteners, processed foods (and their accompanying chemicals) and sugar from your life.

6. Socialize with positive people who uplift you. Cut negative folks out of your life. Get your health back. When you are stronger you may or may not decide to see those folks on a limited basis. (If you must have them in your life.) Who knows? Maybe your positive modeling will encourage them to change.

7. Concentrate on the positive. Start a gratitude journal. Each morning or nite write about what you are grateful about. Write about the good things in your life. You might also keep a log of the healthy whole foods you ate and your feelings about them.

People settle for the bad things in life because they don't believe they can change them. But many bad things start inside of you in your mind. You have thousands upon thousands of thoughts every day. If you tell yourself in your thoughts over and over that you are sick; you aren't giving yourself the possibility of being well. Your thoughts create beliefs. Give yourself permission to take the actions needed to rebuild your health. Give your body the chance to fight to get well. Make your thoughts positive. Determine to manifest a healthy happy life.

Healthy Hope and Change

Hope and change. We were promised hope and change. And yes, our healthcare system needs some hope and change. I think we all agree on the basics. We know what we want the end-product to look like. It's the "how to" which trips us up. We have world-class healthcare here in the great United States of America. That is why people from other countries (with universal care systems) come here for care.

Free market systems encourage innovation and our country leads in development of new technologies and treatments. We must not make thoughtless changes which stymie innovation. It would not only hurt our people, but people the world over.

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

As I read the various proposals for healthcare changes, seems to me folks are suggesting planting some very bad seeds. My heart sank as I read. The lack of reverence for life I see in these proposals is appalling. Every life is precious. One is not more precious than the other. Every life has a purpose. And every life is important to the world. It is a profound loss to the world to not value our elderly. Their wisdom is the worlds salvation. It makes me cry when I wonder how many scientists, poets, leaders and thinkers have been aborted. What a loss to the world.

Yes currently end of life care is costing us greatly. But why are we talking about mandated end of life discussions? Why are we planning lessening care? We should be stressing encouragement of healthy healthstyles! Providing nutrition education! Why aren't we talking about exercise? Why not provide exercise classes (not just for the elderly) for everyone? Exercise should be a lifelong daily activity. Why not stress the importance of exercise in schools? Mandate an hour of exercise every school day. And why do we allow processed foods with unhealthy ingredients to be marketed to our children?

As a 30 yr healthcare professional I have seen the difference between a 65 yr old who did not lead an active healthy healthstyle life and one who did. I've seen 90 yr olds spryer than folks in their 50's. Their spryness and bright mental acuity was due to their healthstyle and remarkable positive outlook on life. When exercise and good nutrition are lifelong partners ills are prevented. As a country our healthcare costs are greatly impacted by the healthstyle of our people. It's time to change the standard american diet and lifestyle.

As I read the various proposals for healthcare changes it occurred to me most want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We do not need to overturn our whole healthcare system in order to "fix" healthcare. Nor should we do anything which would lessen the quality of care. As a 30 yr health professional thats what I see in these proposals; a lessening of quality of care. Nor should there be pork and payoffs in the healthcare proposals. The betterment of healthcare should only be about healthcare. Time to overhaul congress way of doing things. We need politicians with backbones and honest values. I'm anxious to see who steps up to the plate.

Let's fix the problems with with the systems we have. Price gouging needs to stop. Stop the unfairness regarding pre-existing disorders. Put the decisions fully back into the hands of physicians. Reform liability laws. Put a cap on lawyers fees. Put a stop to frivolous lawsuits. And go after the fraud in the medicare system. Nor should the tax dollars of our people be used to reward those who enter our country illegally.

Let's fix what's wrong with what we have. Not enact a monstrosity which would create more government. We can provide healthcare to our people without doing that. Let's remember the tenets upon which America was founded and hold true to them while providing the best healthcare in the world.

But remember always healthcare starts with YOU. The government is not going to make you healthier. Not even your doctor can do that. YOUR healthstyle determines your quality of health. Take responsibility for it.

Top Of The Food Chain?

It's amazing we are egotistical enough to regard ourselves as top of the food chain...... cos we do the dumbest things.

You know it's true. Just think about it. The only species on this planet who goes out of its way to feed their children nutrient poor junk food is the human species. That is exceedingly dumb. The human body to work in the way it was designed needs nutrients. Children especially need a nutritious diet.

Take a walk down the cereal aisle of any grocery store and you will see brightly colored super heroes and animal mascots jumping out at you from cereal boxes. The cereal aisle is a wonderland for children. Read the fine print of the ingredients on those boxes and you will wish you’d paid attention in chemistry class.

In the meat section you will see a big name brand of boxed lunches made for and advertised to children by the use of cute names and colorful characters on the boxes. Read the ingredient list fine print of these and you will find some have MSG in them, as much as 46g of sugar and high sodium counts. Let’s not talk about the preservatives found in these meals. It gives me a headache thinking about children eating this. Read the ingredients list and again you’ll wish you’d paid attention in chemistry class. Let’s not forget the rows of candy at the checkout most usually placed at the right height for children to peruse.

Nor does the marketing of unhealthy foods stop with the grocery store and television. Fast food restaurants feature play areas, clowns and toys. But nutrition? Not much. Though there is a growing revolt against it; unhealthy foods are even marketed to our children in our schools! Children who aren't allowed soda at home can buy it at school. Nobody needs soda. Why do we allow it in our schools?

And we wonder why we have an epidemic of childhood obesity, diabetes, and ADHD. Do you know what the #1 killer of children is? It's cancer.

Do you think the reason might be found in what we are feeding them?

The overwhelming marketing of poor food choices to our children has resulted in a childhood obesity epidemic. Some children are even exhibiting formerly adult health problems; diabetes, high blood pressure, hormone disorders and skeletal diseases. What are we to do? How can we protect our children? How can we encourage a healthy lifestyle?

Very simply we must model the behavior ourselves in our choices both for our health and theirs.

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